Yarn-feeding means for knitting machines



Oct. 29, 1929.

F. E. JONES 1,733,665

YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 4, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 lave-n30? Raw/Fel a? Jones Oct. 29, 1929. JONES 1,733,665

YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 4. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 raven 0?: R, raniEJo was,

Oct. 29, 1929.

F. E. JONES 1,733,665

YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ea n En on/es,

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F. E. JONES YARN FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct. 29, 1929.

Filed Dec. 1922 I/I, (f) e IW/venibw Ran .Jones.

Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK E. JONES, F PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOB "10 'HEMPHILD COM- PANY, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS YARN-FEEDING MEANS FOR KNITTING MACHINES Application filed December 4, 1922. Serial No. 604,641.

This invention relates to yarn feeding means for knitting machines, and particularly to means for feeding a reinforcing yarn to circular knitting 'machinesfor varying lengths in or portions of successive courses,

as, for example, above the heel portion of the stocking for the formation of a so-called high splice, the edges ofwhich are not parallel. to each other, butwhich are inclined, as, for example, to meet, or substantially to meet, at a point at the back of the stocking.

The invention is, however, applicable in other relations. I

In order that the principle of the inven tion may readily. be understood, I have disclosed one embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a plan view of a circular knitting machine having'my invention applied thereto j Fig. 2 is an elevation from the end of the machine of the splicing yarn controlling mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is arear elevation of the upper part of said mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken through the shaft 39 and other parts and showing certain parts in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of a portion of the mechanism for controlling the position of the splicing yarn guide;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section upon the line 77 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a transverse vertical section upon same as applied to a machine of the well known Banner type disclosed in the patent to Joshua D. Hemphill, No. 938,443, dated December 7, 1909.. In this type ofmachine, the needle support is cylindrical and rotates, while the cams remain stationary, and although the machine disclosed is for the purpose of producing hosiery, it is obviously not limited to this class of work. I will, however, describe my invention as applied to a machine of the said type without in all re spects limiting itthere'to', and without limitlng my invention to a rotating needle cyliinder type of machine. I i 7 Generally speaking, the machine selected for illustration, includes a rotatingneedle cylinder, not herein shown, and which is mounted on a suitable table constituting a part of the frame of the knitting machine. As is customaryin this type of machine, the said cylinder is arranged to be rotated and reciprocated to form the fashioned and tubu lar portions of the stocking respectively; The means for effecting the rotating and reciprocating movements are desirably substantially the same asthose'shown and described in .said Hemphill patent, and being well known require no further description." A plurality of yarn feedingelements is provided,and which are herein shown as consisting of five pivoted yarn guides 1, 2, 3,4,, 5, all pivoted at 6 upon a partial ring? shown in plan in Fig. land itself suitably pivoted at 8 sothat it may be swung up out of action to afford accessto' the needles or for any other purpose. The. ring 7 is ofthe type usually employed inthe [Banner machine equipped with spring beard needles, but obviously my invention may be employed in connection with either spring heard or latch needles, and in the latter case acomplete circle latch ring would beemployed.

Each of sail yarn guides including the yarn guide 5 is normally pressed or urged into action by oneof a series of levers'9 shown. in Fig. 1 as mounted upon a standardplO ris ing from the framework of the machine. Each of said levers desirablyhas attached to its outer or right hand end viewing Fig. la coil or other spring tending to moveeach of the specified yarniguides into operative or feeding position. Such movement of said yarn guides or levers into operative position is, however, attimes opposed and overcome disclosed, for example, in thesaid patent. to Joshua B. Hemphill, No. 933,443. Said le vers are desirably pivoted upon a suitable standard rising from the bed plate and each has a wire or link extending downward to and connected to a suitable lever riding upon a suitable cam mounted upon a. disk or drum on the cam shaft of the machine in a manner characteristic of the Banner machine and not ment of the heel and another for the foot. In

addition tothe yarn guides 1, 2, 3, i, there is provided, as statecha yarn uide 5 to which this. invention. more particularly relates, and the purpose of which in the disclosed embodiment of the invention is to provide a high splice reinforcing yarn above the heel and,

desirably for successively increasing lengths in or portions of a. seriesv of successive courses co nstitutins, said high splice. For that purpose the said. yarn guide 5 is pivoted, at 6 as stated, and its outer rounded end 11, as shown Fig 8,, is adapted to be engaged between the spaced projections 12, 1-3, of a lever 14- pivoted at 15. upon a. bracket 16. extending upward. from" the standard 16 v and having an end. or roll 1?, extending laterally therefrom.

and adapted to ride upon the periphery ofa double disk cam, the parts, whereof are indicated at 18,19. The said cam 18, 19 is mounted for rotative. movement between flanges19 1 9?,011, ahublfif, secured by set screw-19 upon a; shaft 20, itself mounted in standards rising from; the bed plate of the machine, one of said standards. being indicated at 21 inFig. 2. Said. shaft has fastthereon. a'pinion- 22 so thatthe double disk 02113118,, 19 constantly rotated in one direction or theother according tothe direction; of rotation of the shaft20. V

Any suitablemeansmay be provided to rotate the shaft. 20. Herein for the purpose I have provided the following mechanism.

"Fast upon the said shaft 2 0Iis a beveled gear 23.. meshing with, twobevel'ed; gears. 2 25,

each normally loosenpon an. upright shaft.

26 supported inextensions 2.7;, 2,8,jofa bracket Y 29,,which is secured to. the bed. plate of. the

Fastupon'the'lower end of the shaft 26 .is. abeveled gear 30,mesh-ing with and driven. by a beveled gear 31 upon. asuitably 7 supported shaft 32 which also.has. fast there ona gear 33 meshing with anddriven by-the machine.

large gear; wheel. Men the main. drive shaft ofthe machine.

The beveled, gears 24, are adapted periodically to be alternately clutched: to the i shaft 26 and therefore periodically alternately to rotate the shaft 20 in opposite directions. The clutch for alternately connecting the beveled gears 24, 25 to the shaft 26 is indicated at 35 in Figs. 2 and 3, said clutch having members 36, 37 adapted to intercugage with corresponding formations, upon the beveled gears 24, 25 respectively for the purpose of imparting movement to means for so acting upon the two members 18, 19 of the double disk cam as to vary the contour-of said cam during the knitting operation. and thereby to vary the contour ofthe reinforcement controlled thereby, and in the specific instance herein disclosed to effect the formation of a tapered high splice.

The pinion 22, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2 constantly meshes with and drives a gear 38 which is fast upon a shaft 39.1nountedin parallelism withthe shaft 20 and in brackets, one of which is shown at 40 in Fig; 1. The said shaft 39 has formed thereon a screw or worm 41. with which engages a partial nut 42 carried by a radial arm 43 extending from a ring like member A encircling the shaft 20 desirably with capacity for slight circumfer- 'ential movement. Said ring like member, l is ielcl in position by washer 44 itself secured by screws 45 to the end of a hub ldsspliued upon the shaft 20 as indicated. atl'Z, so that said hub and the parts. carried thereby may be moved gradually along said shaft 20 in. one direction or the other according tothe direction of rotation. of said: shaft 20, and conse quently of the direction of rotation of theworm or screw 4-1 upon the shaft 39.

The. half nut 6L2 is provided with threads 48 engaging those of the screw or worm 41..

and said half nut 42. is desirably held in yieldlng driving IQliltlOllrWltll the worm or screw 11 by means of a plunger 49 received. in a r cess of the nut 42,: said plunger itself being desirably hollow andreceiving therein acoil.

spring' 50. which at one end presses against the half; nut 42. and at the other end against the plunger 49. .The said plunger 49 bears against the inclined face 51 of a bracket 52f...

the said. face beingof. sufficient length to receive the plunger during the entire tra versing respectively and a low portion 55, 56 respectively, sothat the'lateral projection or roller 17 of the lever 1 f. rides upon the combined high surface of the-two disks 18, 19., Obviously by moving the twodisks 18, 19 circiunferentially relatively to each other, and de sirably in opposite directionathe combined high portion and the combined low portion of said disks are varied, one being increased and the other decreased. The result is that the lateral projection or roll 17 rides upon'the combined periphery of the twodisks, the splicing yarn guide 5 being lifted or swung upwardly out of action when said lateral projection or roll 17 rides upon the combined high portion of said periphery, and saidyarn guide being lowered or swung downwardly into action when said lateral projection or roll rides upon the combined low portion of said disks. By automatically moving said two disks relatively to each other and desirably by moving them in opposite directions automatically during the knitting operation, the contour of the reinforcement is varied. lVhile I may within the scope of my invention relatively move said disks to, any desired extent and at any desired rate, preferably I provide means whereby the reinforcement may be commenced upon a minimum number of needles, as for example, two or four, and

whereby upon each succeeding course or up on each of a series of succeeding courses, as, for example, on every second, third or fourth course, one or more additional needles at each end of the series, receive the reinforcing yarn, thereby making a tapering reinforcement of the desired angularity. If the stocking be commenced at the toe, obviously the reinforcing operation is reversed and a successively smaller number of needles receives the reinforcing yarn. g I

\Vhile any. suitable means may be employed relatively to move the disks 18, 19, I desirably,

generically stated, move at least one of said disks, and, more specifically speaking, I desirably move both disks to an equal extent but in opposite directions, and by means which itself moves along a path whichis in parallel-, ism with the axis of the saiddisks 18, 19, thatis,transver selyto theperipheries of said disks. For this purpose Ihave herein represented a pair of wedges 57 ,58, which as shown most;

clearlyin Figs EZ, 5,and 6, are secured upon the axially movable hub d6. The wedge 57 which preferablyis of skeleton formation isprovided with a base portion 59 of semi-ring form as indicated clearly inFigl 8, secured byscrews 60, 6O upon'an annular flange 61 upon the hub46.

. The pointor apex 62 of said wedge is directed away from the hub 46 The other wedge 58 is oppositely positioned "with respect to the wedge 57. Itis arranged at a distance of 180 degrees therefrom upon the hub 4L6and the apex thereofis'directed oppositely to that of the wedge 57 As shown most clearly in Fig. 8, said wedge 58 is secured by screws 63 to the part- 64 of the'hub 46 and the twodisks 18, 19 are respectively provided with arcuate slots 65, 66 which overlap more or'less to receive the apex of said wedge 58. It 'willbe apparent that, by movement of the hub 46 axially of the shaft 20 by the worm or screw 47]., thewedges 57, 58, soactupon'the' two disks 18,19, as gradually to move them in opposite directions, and thereby gradually to increase the peripheral extent ofthe combined low portion ofthe disks 18, 19 thus constantly or graduallyincreasing the length of the partial courses of the knitted reinforcingyarn.

When the wedges57, 58 have been traversed in one direction sufficiently to'eifect the format-ion of the tapered high splice, the wedges are then traversed in the opposite direction through the reversal of the direction of rotationof thefworm'or screw 41 by means of I the clutch 35. The said clutch is adapted to becontrolled by a lever 67 shown most clearly in Fig. 3 as pivoted at 68 upon the standard.

Said lever isadapted to be connected at its.

closed in my copending application Serial No. 566,338, filed Junefi, 1922, upon which this application constitutes an improvement Such disk'cam is "provided with suitable ele-' vations and depressions controllingthe periods of traversing movement ofthe wedges 57, 58, so that the reinforcement'is made at the proper time. -Means are also preferably pro-,

vided as disclosed in said application, whereby when'the yarn guide 5 isnot introducing its reinforcing or splicingyarn, itis held in I its elevated non functioning position.

Ilaving thus described one illustrative embodiment of myinvention, I desire'itto be understoodthat although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and.de-,

scriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scopeofthe invention being set forth in the following claims. 8

Claims: 1. A circular cam controlling the splicing'yarn guide, said I knitting machine having needles and yarn guides including a sphcmg yarn'gu1de,'1n combination wlth a compound cam comprising two disks in faceto face relation, and meansmovable in substantial par allelism wit-hgthe axis of said cam for moving said disks relatively to'each other, thereby T automatically to; vary the contour of said cam.

2. A' circular knitting machine having p needles and yarn guides including a splicing yarn guide, in combination with a compound cam controlling the splicing yarn guide, said cam comprising two disks havinga face to facerelationywedge means, and means to im part straight line movement to said'wedge yarn guide,'in combination with a compound cam controlling the splicing yarn guide, said cam comprising two disks upon the combined periphery whereof splicing yarn guide controlling means is adapted to ride, and means movable transversely to the combined periphery of said cam to vary the contour of the latter.

4. A circular knitting machine having needlesand yarn guides, including a splicing yarn guide, in combination with a compound cam controlling the splicing yarn guide, Slld cam. comprising two disks in touching face to face relation, and means movable transversely to the combined periphery of said cam to vary the contour of the latter.

5. A circular knitting machine having needles and yarn guides including a splicing yarn guide in combination with a compound cam controlling the splicing yarn guide, a shaft whereon said camis supported against axial movement, but with respect to which it may move circumferentially, and means movable in the direction of the axis of said shaft for moving said compound cam circumferentially'to vary the contour thereof.

7 6. A circular knitting machine having needles and yarn guides including a splicing r yarn guide in' combination with a compound cam controlllng the sphclng yarn guide, a

shaft whereon said cam is supported against axial movement, but with respect to which it may move circumferentially, said cam being composed of a plurality of parts movable relatively to each other circumferentially of said shaft, and means movable along said shaft for imparting. such circumferential movementto vary the contour of the cam.

7 A circular knitting machine having needles and yarn guides including a splicing,

yarn guide in combination with a compound cam controlling the splicing yarn gulde, a shaftwhereon sald cam is supported agalnst axial movement, but with respect to whichit may move circumferentially, saidv cam being composed of a plurality of disks having capacity for relative circumferential movement, and means traversed along said shaft for imparting such relative circumferential movement during the knitting operation.

8. A circular knitting machine having needles and yarn guides including a splicing yarn guide in combination with a compound cam controlling the splicing yarn guide, a shaft whereon said cam is supported against axial movemen but with respect to which it maymove circumferentially, said cam being composed of a plurality of parts having capacity for relative circumferential move ment, and wedge means movable in substantially the direction of the axis of the said shaft, for imparting such movement during the knitting operation.

9; A circular knitting machine having needles and yarn guides including a splicing yarn guide in combination with a compound cam controlling the splicing yarn guide, a shaft whereon said cam is supported against axial movement, but with respect to which it may move circumferentially, said cam being composed of a plurality of parts having capacity for relative circumferential movement, and automatically acting wedge means .cting by continuous wedge engagement with said cam, for imparting such movement during the knitting operation, thereby to vary the contour of said cam.

10. A circular knitting machine having needles and yarn guides including a splicing yarn guide in combination with a compound cam controlling said splicing yarn guide, a shaft whereon said cam is supported for circumferential movement, and wedge means movable automatically along the axis of said shaft for moving said compound cam circnmferentially to vary its contour.

11. A circular knitting machine having needles andyarn guides including a splicing yarn guide in combination with a compound cam controlling said splicing yarn guide, a shaft whereon said cam is supported for circumferential movement, a pair of oppositely positioned wedges to engage the parts of said compound cam, and means to move said wedges during the knitting operation to vary the periphery of said cam.

12. A circular knitting machine having needles and yarn guides'including a splicing yarn guide in combination with a compound cam controlling said splicing'yarn guide, a shaft whereon said cam is supported for circumferential movement, a pair ofoppositely positioned wedges to engage the parts of said compound cam, and means automatically totraverse said wedges during the knitting operation, so as automatically to vary the periphery of said cam. Q

13. A circular knitting machine having needles and yarn guides including a splicing. yarn guide in combination'with a compound cam controlling said splicing yarn guide, a

shaft whereon said cam is supported for circumferential movement, said cam being composed of a pair of disks in touching face to face relation, and having complemental peripheral formations, and means'movable along the axis ofsaid shaft relatively to move said disks with respect to each other.

14. A circular knitting machine having needles and yarn guidesincluding a splicing yarn guide in combination with a compound cam controlling said splicing yarn guide, a shaft whereon said cam is supported for circumferential movement, wedge means for moving parts of said cams circumferentially with respect to each other, and a screw for movingsaid wedge means 15. A circular knitting machine having needles and yarn guides including a splicing yarn guide in combination with a compound cam: controlling said splicing yarn guide, a shaft whereon said cam is supported for circumferential movement, wedge means for FRANK E. JONES. 

